New military commissioner: Bundestag elects Henning Otte with a clear majority

New military commissioner: Bundestag elects Henning Otte with a clear majority

On May 21, 2025, the Bundestag unanimously elected Henning Otte from the CDU/CSU as the new military commissioner. In a secret vote he received 391 votes, while 188 MPs voted against him and 28 abstained. This step was based on a joint proposal from the CDU/CSU and SPD, which underlines the cross-party support for Otte. Otte follows the SPD politician Dr. Eva Högl, who held the position since May 25, 2020 and served for five years.

The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner is anchored in the Basic Law and includes parliamentary control of the armed forces. According to Article 45b of the Basic Law, the Commissioner for the Armed Forces is an important auxiliary body of the Bundestag. One of its central tasks is to protect the fundamental rights of soldiers and to ensure compliance with the principles of internal command. In addition, the Commissioner for the Armed Forces prepares an annual comprehensive report on the internal state of the Bundeswehr, which is presented in the German Bundestag.

Henning Otte: An experienced candidate

Henning Otte brings extensive experience in defense and security policy. He has been a member of the Bundestag since 2005 and has continuously represented his constituency of Celle – Uelzen. Before his political career, Otte trained as a reserve officer in a tank battalion and supplemented his qualifications with training as a savings bank clerk and studying law. From 2014 to 2021 he was the defense policy spokesman for the Union faction and deputy head of the Defense Committee in the last electoral term. He is currently also a member of the CDU federal executive board.
Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn described Otte as the “optimal candidate” for this important task. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) spoke positively about the upcoming collaboration with Otte and at the same time thanked his predecessor Högl for her commitment and the work she has done.

Outlook and challenges

In the run-up to the election, MPs discussed Högl's 2024 annual report. This report painted a mixed picture of the Bundeswehr and pointed out numerous problems and grievances, particularly with regard to material and personnel resources. These challenges will also represent Otte's first major tasks as the new military commissioner, as he must now dedicate himself to the task of effectively representing the voice of the soldiers and calling for solutions.
The election of the Military Commissioner took place at the same time as the Bundestag also elected members for the election committee for the election of judges of the Federal Constitutional Court. This illustrates the active political activities in the Bundestag, where important decisions are made at the same time.